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EDUCATION

Merkel assures parents that schools and Kitas will be first to open after shutdown

Chancellor Angela Merkel listened to the emotional accounts of parents on how they are dealing with the pandemic - and assured them schools and daycare were top priority.

Merkel assures parents that schools and Kitas will be first to open after shutdown
Chancellor Angela Merkel speaking to parents on Thurday. Photo: DPA

In the online dialogue with parents, the Chancellor held back on making promises.

But Merkel assured parents that when coronavirus restrictions are relaxed, daycare centres (Kitas) and schools will be opened first – something that pandemic researchers also approve of, she said.

Merkel could not give an exact date for when this would be the case. But she hopes that “we are now on the last leg of the pandemic”.

The event was part of 'the chancellor in conversation' series which sees Merkel talk to groups of people to find out their experience of the pandemic.

In an emotional exchange, a mother and volunteer with the Catholic Women's Service in Wattenscheid was close to tears as she told Merkel how the lockdown is opening up old wounds for refugee children who cannot read or write.

“We are at our limit emotionally,” said another mother, while a father said: “The resources are used up”.

EXPLAINED: How Germany plans to support families and businesses in the pandemic

Parents told Merkel how they are worried about money and their livelihoods. There are also concerns about bad internet connections that make home schooling difficult and emergency care groups that resemble overcrowded “custody centres”.

There's also a multitude of personal problems for families, Merkel heard.

“We live together like strangers,” one woman said about the lack of contact in her multi-generational household.

“The grandparents stay on their floor, we stay on ours.”

“Cabin fever” in cramped flats was also mentioned by parents, and concerns about neighbours who are using the lockdown time to turn their flat into a noisy construction site – making it extremely difficult for children to do school tasks and parents to work.

Merkel said she has no children herself, but tried to be encouraging during the dialogue.

“I suppose there are also nice moments,” she said, adding: “With every day that the sun comes up a little higher, the chance that life will become more normal increases.”

At the same time, Merkel appealed for understanding that there is no quick way out of this crisis.

“We don't want to open up and close down again straight away,” she said.

What could change?

Merkel made no promises but took notes on topics such as child support.

Single parents told Merkel the government's Kinderbonus – a one-off payment for every child – was a “drop in the ocean” because the pandemic measures have increased costs for electricity, heating and food as well as for protective masks.

On Wednesday the government decided on another Kinderbonus payment.

“We'll have to look at that again,” Merkel replied to a single mother's suggestion that the basic tax-free allowance (Kinderfreibetrag) for families be raised.

The Chancellor also heard that the state regulations for special leave (Corona -Sonderurlaub) are not practical.

Merkel said she believes Germany could introduce tutoring vouchers for kids. She also mentioned a summer campaign for students who could catch up on missed lessons. More details will be decided soon at a “children's summit”, she said.

Vocabulary

Parents – (die) Eltern

Multi-generational household – (der) Mehrgenerationenhaushalt

We're aiming to help our readers improve their German by translating vocabulary from some of our news stories. Did you find this article useful? Let us know.

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HEALTH

Could there be a new wave of Covid-19 in Germany this autumn?

It’s back again: amid sinking temperatures, the incidence of Covid-19 has been slowly rising in Germany. But is this enough to merit worrying about the virus?

Could there be a new wave of Covid-19 in Germany this autumn?

More people donning face masks in supermarkets, friends cancelling plans last minute due to getting sick with Covid-19. We might have seen some of those familiar reminders recently that the coronavirus is still around, but could there really be a resurgence of the virus like we experienced during the pandemic years?

According to virologists, the answer seems to be ‘maybe’: since July, the number of people newly infected with Covid-19 has been slowly rising from a very low level.

According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), nine people per 100,000 inhabitants became newly infected in Germany last week. A year ago, there were only around 270 reported cases.

Various Corona variants are currently on the loose in the country. According to the RKI,  the EG.5 (also called Eris) and XBB.1.16 lines were each detected in the week ending September 3rd with a share of just under 23 percent. 

The highly mutated variant BA.2.86 (Pirola), which is currently under observation by the World Health Organisation (WHO), also arrived in the country this week, according to RKI. 

High number of unreported case

The RKI epidemiologists also warned about a high number of unreported cases since hardly any testing is done. They pointed out that almost half of all registered sewage treatment plants report an increasing viral load in wastewater tests.

The number of hospital admissions has also increased slightly, but are still a far cry from the occupation rate amid the pandemic. Last week it was two per 100,000 inhabitants. In the intensive care units, only 1.2 percent of all beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients.

Still, a good three-quarters (76.4 percent) of people in Germany have been vaccinated at least twice and thus have basic immunity, reported RKI. 

Since Monday, doctors’ offices have been vaccinating with the adapted vaccine from Biontech/Pfizer, available to anyone over 12 years old, with a vaccine for small children set to be released the following week and one for those between 5 and 11 to come out October 2nd.

But Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has so far only recommended that people over 60 and those with pre-existing conditions get vaccinated.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Who should get a Covid jab this autumn in Germany?

“The pandemic is over, the virus remains,” he said. “We cannot predict the course of coming waves of corona, but it is clear that older people and people with pre-existing conditions remain at higher risk of becoming severely ill from Covid-19”

The RKI also recommended that people with a cold voluntarily wear a mask. Anyone exhibiting cough, cold, sore throat or other symptoms of a respiratory illness should voluntarily stay at home for three to five days and take regular corona self-tests. 

However, further measures such as contact restrictions are not necessary, he said.

One of many diseases

As of this autumn, Covid-19 could be one of many respiratory diseases. As with influenza, there are no longer absolute infection figures for coronavirus.

Saarbrücken pharmacist Thorsten Lehr told German broadcaster ZDF that self-protection through vaccinations, wearing a mask and getting tested when symptoms appear are prerequisites for surviving the Covid autumn well. 

Only a new, more aggressive mutation could completely turn the game around, he added.

On April 7th of this year, Germany removed the last of its over two-year long coronavirus restrictions, including mask-wearing in some public places.

READ ALSO: German doctors recommend Covid-19 self-tests amid new variant

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